


I Keep Meeting Sunshine in the Rain

by natsume_kun



Category: GOT7
Genre: Alternate Universe - College/University, Choi Youngjae is a Ray of Sunshine, Coffee, Fluff, Friends to Lovers, Friendship/Love, Im Jaebum is Whipped, Im Jaebum | JB-Centric, M/M, Rainy Days, Soft Gay Hours, like he really has it bad, pining jaebum
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-05-12
Updated: 2019-06-04
Packaged: 2020-03-01 12:56:18
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 6
Words: 10,207
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18800800
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/natsume_kun/pseuds/natsume_kun
Summary: It’s a cold, rainy day, but Jaebum feels like he’s just seen sunshine. Something about the sight of Youngjae playing in a sea of bubbles was endearing to him. Jaebum can’t help but smile. And when he hears the sound of Youngjae’s laughter, his heart brims with warmth.--or, Jaebum falls in love with Youngjae in the rain.*edit: added an epilogue





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> this is lowkey based on that one au prompt from this [Fanfic Prompt Generator](https://colormayfade.tumblr.com/generator#) which went like "You keep falling asleep in the lectures and I keep waking you up so you don't get in trouble, so to make sure you stay awake, I brought you coffee with my number on it" except i changed that last bit lol
> 
> hope u enjoy this rain-themed fic oof

It’s about 8:10 am and it’s raining. Jaebum sits in the classroom-- halfheartedly listening to the lecture, while occasionally watching the rain pour from the classroom window. He could hardly make out the buildings and trees outside with the windows starting to fog up. He takes note of the seat beside him, cold and empty. The student who sits beside him is nowhere to be found-- like always. Jaebum wonders if his classmate had already gone beyond the limited number of absences allowed for the class. One, two, three, four, five, six, seven absences? Jaebum isn’t so sure if he counted right.

Jaebum tries to recall the name of the student who sits beside him. Choi Young--something? Youngjae, was it? That sounds about right. On the rare occasion that Youngjae does go to class, he always ends up falling asleep. He’s even been caught sleeping once. Youngjae ended up getting scolded by their professor, and the whole class was terrified. What was once a sleepy 8 am class suddenly turned into a room of students fully alert and awakened by their professor’s passive-aggressive scolding. Youngjae was harshly dismissed by their professor in the middle of the lecture, and was told to go somewhere else if he had nothing better to do than sleep in class.

So in order to prevent another awkward and terrifying classroom scolding, Jaebum started nudging his classmate on the shoulder every time he would sense the other dozing off again. He’s been doing so for the past few weeks when Youngjae would be in class. It’s gotten to the point that Jaebum would even excuse himself from class to buy Youngjae a cup of cheap coffee from the vending machine just a few steps outside the classroom. Today, he assumes he wouldn’t be doing any of these. No Youngjae means no nudging and no vending machine coffee.

It comes a surprise when Youngjae enters from the doorway at the back of the classroom. He’s panting as he struggles to close his umbrella. Jaebum hears the boy mumble something under his breath.

“...hate this stupid rain.”

When Youngjae finally manages to close his umbrella, he puts it down on a metal rack, and proceeds to take his seat beside Jaebum. He takes out a notebook and a pen from his bag and sets them on the table. Youngjae starts to jot down the professor’s notes on the board, but after a few minutes of doing so, he begins to drift off-- closing his eyes and eventually dropping his pen on the floor. Jaebum picks up the pen and places it on Youngjae’s desk. He nudges the other and quietly tells him to wake up. Youngjae shakes his head, confused.

“What? Oh yeah, I’m in class,” Youngjae mumbles quietly.

Jaebum stands up and makes his way out of the classroom. He goes up to the vending machine to buy a cup of coffee. He inserts a few coins into the slot before pressing the button labeled ‘Latte’. As he waits for the drink, he remembers the first time he bought Youngjae some vending machine coffee. He got the other a cup of black coffee, only to end up being told “I prefer latte, but thanks” after class. Jaebum was taken aback by that response-- _it was kind of rude, but also, at least he said thanks_. The vending machine soon beeps to indicate that the latte was ready. Jaebum takes the cup and walks back to the classroom. He sets it down on Youngjae’s desk and nudges the other boy as he takes his seat.

“Thanks, hyung,” Youngjae says. He holds the cup and takes a sip of the latte.

“No problem. Just try to stay awake, ok?”

“I guess,” Youngjae shrugs.

Thankfully, Youngjae manages to stay awake for the rest of the class. When the professor finally dismisses them, the students rush out of the classroom. Jaebum was about to take his leave when Youngjae suddenly calls his attention.

“Ah, Jaebum-hyung. Wait,” Youngjae says as he stuffs his notebook and pen back into his bag.

Jaebum looks back at the other boy.

“Yeah? What is it?”

“Do you… want to hang out sometime? Get lunch or coffee or something? It’s my treat. Oh, and please don’t misunderstand-- I mean-- it’s to pay you back for having to deal with me in class. You know-- nudging me awake and getting me coffee and all?” Youngjae says, laughing a little hesitantly in between.

 _Well, that’s thoughtful,_ Jaebum thinks.  And this is quite a development from “I prefer latte, but thanks.” Jaebum thinks it’s not such a bad idea.

“Oh, sure.”

“Great. Are you free later? At around 1 pm?”

“Yeah, I’m free at that time.”

“Is there any place in particular you’d like to go for lunch?”

“Just the cafeteria is fine.”

“Ok. I’ll see you there. Thanks again, hyung.”

“No problem."

Jaebum waves the other goodbye before picking up his umbrella from the metal rack, and walking off into the rain for his next class.       

 

\--

 

“So why do you keep falling asleep in class anyway?” Jaebum asks before shoving another spoonful of rice into his mouth.

“What do you mean? It’s an 8 am class. Doesn’t everyone want to sleep at that time? It’s way too early for a lecture on Immanuel Kant or Aristotle or any philosopher for that matter,” Youngjae says with a chuckle.

“I guess, but you’re the only one who’s consistently so obvious about it in class.”

“I just have bad time management… And ok, maybe I play games until 5 am…” Youngjae shamefully admits.

“What?” Jaebum asks as if the other had just said something ridiculous.

“Why do you sound so surprised? Isn’t it a universal fact that most college students hardly get any sleep?”

“True, but I’m one of those students who half-ass their homework so they can sleep earlier. And also, games until 5 am, really? When you know you have an 8 am class?”

“Ah, you see, you’re smart. And I’m not,” Youngjae says proudly.

“Go to sleep earlier, kid."

“Hey! I stay up for important things. It’s Pokemon Diamond, ok? Besides, I’m already battling the Elite Four. You don’t have to worry because I’ll be done with the game soon and I can finally sleep earlier, mom.”

Jaebum laughs as he puts his spoon down on his plate.

“What time do you sleep anyway, hyung?” Youngjae continues.

“Around 2 am, usually.”

“That’s not even too far off from 5 am, so why are you nagging me to sleep earlier?”

“I wake up at 7 am and 5 hours is enough to keep me awake for the entire day. Also, I, at least, don’t fall asleep in class every 3 minutes even if I’m running on just 5 hours of sleep, ” Jaebum explains.

“Point taken. But also, that’s not going to stop me from playing Pokemon.”

Jaebum sighs. “Just take care of yourself, ok?”

“I don’t know. I’ll try.” Youngjae shrugs.

“I’m not going to wake you up and bring you coffee every time, you know?”

“You know you don’t have to… but still, thanks. I appreciate it a lot.”

Youngjae gives the other a sheepish smile. Jaebum thinks he’d like to see more of that.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> this was just an intro/exposition chapter i swear cuter things happen in the next chapters 😔👌👌


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Youngjae and Jaebum spend almost the entire day studying at a coffee shop. 
> 
> Jaebum realizes Youngjae is kind of cute.

The next time they meet in class, Youngjae asks Jaebum for his phone number. Midterm exams were just a few weeks away and Youngjae needed help with philosophy class. Even though Youngjae had some notes, he couldn’t make sense of all the philosophical concepts he had written down considering he was always asleep in class half the time. He decides to study for midterms together with Jaebum over the weekend, hoping that the other could help him understand their lessons.

Sunday had come and Jaebum was now sitting at one of the benches just outside the university dorms while waiting for Youngjae to arrive. It’s raining again. He hears the incessant plopping of the rain on the roof that hung above the benches, as he watches the puddles in front of his feet unfold into tiny oceans mirroring the sky. It looks gloomy today. The air is also chilly. Jaebum wonders when he’ll get to bask in the sun’s warmth again.

Soon, Jaebum hears a series of hurried footsteps splashing against water.

“Hyung!” Youngjae waves excitedly at Jaebum as he runs towards the benches.

“Don’t run like that! You might slip,” Jaebum shouts, just enough for Youngjae to hear above the sound of the rain falling.

When Youngjae finally gets to where Jaebum is, he beams at the older boy as he shakes off the rain from his umbrella.

"Good morning!" Youngjae greets enthusiastically.

"Morning."

"Ready to go, hyung?" Youngjae asks, smiling.

"I guess," Jaebum deadpans.

"Great. Let's go!"

Youngjae holds out his hand for Jaebum to take. Jaebum hesitates whether to take it, but ends up doing so out of politeness. When Youngjae pulls him to stand up, Jaebum ends up standing too close to the other, their faces just inches apart. They end up sharing a quick gaze, and Jaebum notes how Youngjae's eyes seem to smile and hold wonder in them. It was completely unlike the gloomy sky he had seen reflected on the puddles of rain. Despite hardly knowing the younger boy, it seemed to Jaebum that Youngjae gazed at him with a certain fondness.

Jaebum immediately lets go of the other's hand and turns to the side to open his umbrella before Youngjae can even notice the older boy's cheeks turning pink. Youngjae steps back and watches Jaebum in confusion.

Jaebum raises his umbrella and begins to walk ahead of the other in silence.

"Wait for me, hyung!"

Youngjae follows hurriedly until he's walking beside the older boy. Jaebum can sense the other glancing at him from the side, but he only stares down at his feet trying to avoid Youngjae’s gaze. Jaebum’s worried that if he stared just a little longer into the other's eyes, he feels he might just get lost in them.

 

\--

 

The trip to the cafe outside university was spent mostly in silence-- there was only the sound of rainfall and splashing of water, but no words were exchanged between the two of them. The lack of talking was kind of awkward, but thankfully, the rain was there to fill in the wordlessness. It wasn’t as painfully awkward as it could have been, at least, and Jaebum was thankful for that.

The cafe where they had planned to study was now in sight, and the rain had finally come to a stop. As Jaebum heads into the direction of the cafe, he realizes midway that Youngjae was no longer walking beside him. Confused, he turns around, searching for any sign of the younger boy.

Upon turning, Jaebum sees-- bubbles? There seems to be a lot of them floating around. There’s a hoard of them and right there, in the midst of all those bubbles, he finds Youngjae. The younger boy was now occupied with curiously popping the bubbles one by one. Eventually, Youngjae abandons his umbrella on the ground and stretches his arms-- as if to welcome the bubbles into a hug. He closes his eyes and laughs heartily as he revels in the sea of bubbles surrounding him.

It’s a cold, rainy day, but Jaebum feels like he’s just seen sunshine. Something about the sight of Youngjae playing in a sea of bubbles was endearing to him. Jaebum can’t help but smile. And when he hears the sound of Youngjae’s laughter, his heart brims with warmth.

 _Fuck. How is he so adorable?_ Jaebum thinks.

He immediately shakes his head, trying to push the thoughts and feelings away. Jaebum was never good at dealing with these kinds of things, and he definitely didn’t want to deal with them right now-- especially not when they were supposed to be studying for midterms.

Where are all these bubbles coming from, anyway? Jaebum looks around to search for the source and finds a young girl with her mother sitting at a waiting shed nearby. The kid was blowing bubbles while her mother would repeatedly look back and forth at the road and her wristwatch. By the looks of it, they seem to be waiting for their ride to arrive.

It takes Jaebum by surprise when Youngjae suddenly takes the older boy’s hands into his own, and pulls him into the sea of bubbles. Jaebum doesn’t even realize immediately how he had suddenly dropped his own umbrella as the other was pulling him in. And even when he does finally realize it, he thinks he doesn’t mind at all.

 

\--

 

The smell of coffee and freshly-baked pastries filled the air. The cafe was fairly peaceful aside from the sound of spoons and forks clinking against porcelain dishes, the cash register opening, the chatter between customers, and the sound of pouring rain and roaring thunder from outside. The sun had long been gone and the streets were cold, damp, and dark. It was completely different from the atmosphere inside of the cafe-- safe, warm, and inviting.

Youngjae and Jaebum sat across from each other at a table beside the windows of the cafe. They’ve been studying here since morning while downing cups of coffee and hot chocolate. It was quiet between the two of them for the most part, aside from the times Youngjae would ask the older boy to explain some philosophical concepts he probably missed during the lectures. Jaebum had been trying to write an essay for one of his classes, but was now just staring blankly at the document on his laptop screen. Meanwhile, Youngjae seems to have long given up on reading a book for philosophy class. He was now just mindlessly doodling at the page margins of his book.

Youngjae soon breaks the silence between the two of them.

“Hyuuuuuung,” Youngjae whines. Jaebum tries his best to ignore the other boy-- telling himself that he needs to get another paragraph done, and pretends to be studying something seriously on his laptop. Jaebum’s desperately trying his best to focus, but at this point, none of the words in the document he’s working on is making any sense to him. It’s almost 8 pm, he’s finished his cup of coffee hours ago, and he’s tired. Yet, Jaebum continues trying to read the same sentence over and over again, hoping that it would magically make sense any moment now.

Youngjae soon lays his head down, resting on one arm on the table, and plays with the pen he’s been holding-- spinning it between two fingers. He eventually reaches out to poke the older boy’s hand with the pen. He pokes Jaebum two more times before he finally gets a reaction.

“What is it, Youngjae?” Jaebum tries to sound as indifferent as he can.

“Talk to me, hyung.”

“I don’t want to.”

“Too late. You already are.”

“You’re annoying.”

“And you’re not actually studying,” Youngjae lifts his head from the table and raises an eyebrow at the other boy.

“I hate you,” Jaebum says laughing.

“If you did, you’d have stopped bringing me coffee weeks ago.”

“Then I’ll stop next week.”

“Please don’t,” Youngjae says, looking at him with drowsy yet pleading eyes, once again poking at Jaebum’s hand with the pen. Jaebum notes the sweetness in Youngjae’s eyes as the other says it. It makes him smile, but rolls his eyes in a pointless attempt to look annoyed.

“Go play some Pokemon or something.”

“I just finished playing Diamond yesterday.”

“Then go study.”  
  
“Thats boring, hyung. Just talk to me.”

“About what?” Jaebum sighs.

Youngjae smiles upon realizing the older boy had just given in to his attempts at distracting them from studying. He grabs the other’s hand and pulls it close towards himself. Jaebum lets him. Youngjae begins to draw something on the back of Jaebum’s hand with a pen.

“Youngjae, what are you doing?” Jaebum asks with a slight chuckle.

“Just drawing…”

“That better not be something embarrassing,” Jaebum warns.

“Don’t worry… There. I’m done.”

Youngjae puts the pen down on the table, and lets go of the other’s hand. Jaebum examines the back of his hand and sees that Youngjae had doodled a smiling sun there. It’s like one of those drawings that kids always make when they’re asked to draw almost anything for a school project-- a circle with eight short lines surrounding it as if they were rays of the sun, and then the smiley face inside the circle. It’s childish, but Jaebum finds it endearing.

Youngjae laughs upon seeing the other boy smile at the doodle he had made.

For a moment, Jaebum forgets about the pouring rain, roaring thunder, and cold, dark streets outside.

 

\--

 

A rainy Monday arrives and they meet in class once again. As always, Youngjae’s trying to fight off sleep and Jaebum’s halfheartedly taking notes from the lecture. Youngjae adjusts in his seat and catches something in his periphery. He notices Jaebum’s hand as the other continues to jot down notes. Youngjae’s doodle is still there, although it’s a little faded by now. _Why is that still there? Did Jaebum forget to take a bath?_ Youngjae wonders and lets out a muffled laughter at the thought.

He leans closer towards the older boy to smell his hair. There’s a scent of aloe vera and rain. _Huh. So he has taken a bath,_ Youngjae thinks. Jaebum stops writing and turns to give the other a confused expression.

“What the hell are you doing?” Jaebum laughs a little nervously as he asks. Youngjae is so close to him right now and it makes him feel giddy. There’s a feeling of warmth in his cheeks.

“Nothing. I thought you forgot to take a bath so I was checking. Turns out you just forgot to wash this off in particular,” Youngjae says as he retreats from the closeness and points at the sun doodle on Jaebum’s hand.

_Oh right._

Jaebum’s memories of yesterday surface vividly in his head. He remembers how he accidentally stood too close facing the other boy-- how he was afraid of looking at him a little too long because he might just get lost in Youngjae’s eyes. He remembers how adorable Youngjae looked playing in the sea of bubbles and how the other cheerfully pulled him along. He remembers how Youngjae suddenly took his hand to draw a smiling sun now still vaguely visible on his skin.

He realizes that maybe he likes Youngjae just a little more than he thought he possibly could. Jaebum doesn’t get crushes that often but when he does, it’s difficult to ignore-- it’s like a voice just won’t go away-- a thought that’s always on the periphery of his mind.

He tries to convince himself that this is just a small, shallow, passing feeling of attraction.

Something tells him that it isn’t.


	3. Chapter 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Jinyoung.

Over the past few weeks, Jaebum sees Youngjae more often outside of class. There are times Youngjae would invite him to study together and they would go eat lunch at the cafeteria, sometimes even at some hole-in-the-wall cozy cafes and diners outside of school. But most times, it's really just Jaebum passing the other boy in the school hallways or noticing him from a distance in the school grounds, even in the midst of a throng of students all rushing to their next class. Jaebum doesn’t know if it's just coincidental that both of them often happen to be in the same places at the same time, or Jaebum just finds himself intentionally looking for any sign of Youngjae in any crowd.

He once saw Youngjae sitting at one of the tables in front of the library and ever since, whenever Jaebum would pass by the library, he would stop to check if Youngjae was there. Jaebum never saw him there again, but that doesn’t stop him from searching, hoping.

Over the past few weeks, Jaebum has also seen Youngjae with this other boy. Youngjae had introduced him to Jaebum once when they had passed each other in the hallways. His name was Park Jinyoung. He was undoubtedly good-looking, a bit sassy with a good sense of humor, and definitely charming. Jaebum could see that Jinyoung was pretty close to Youngjae. He tries his best to ignore that emerging feeling of hopelessness in his heart whenever he would see the younger boy laughing with or even hugging Jinyoung.

 

\--

 

Youngjae had started going to class more often, so it comes a surprise to Jaebum this time when the class starts and the seat beside him remains empty. Halfway into the lecture, Jaebum sends Youngjae a text message asking the other where he is. Every now and then, he would look at the doorway at the back of the classroom, and then at his phone.

The class soon ends with Jaebum having received no reply from the younger boy, and the seat beside him still vacant. Sighing, he fixes his things and leaves to go to the cafeteria to quickly grab a sandwich before his next class.

As he lines up at the cashier to pay for it, he notices a few familiar faces at the table near the cafeteria entrance-- it's Jinyoung and Youngjae. They seem to be watching something together on the laptop in front of them. Youngjae leans closer towards Jinyoung and whispers something in his ear. _They're so close._ Soon, Jinyoung's jokingly hitting the younger boy’s shoulder and Jaebum can hear the joy in their laughter even above the noise and chatter in the cafeteria. When the two finally get back to watching, Jaebum notices how Youngjae occasionally steals glances at Jinyoung.

There was just something about those glances. Jaebum doesn’t miss the glint of joy, shyness, and perhaps-- pining in those eyes.

Once it was his turn paying, Jaebum quickly hands the cashier his money. He walks out of the cafeteria with his head bowed down, trying to avoid getting noticed by Youngjae and Jinyoung on his way out.

Unfortunately, Jinyoung seems to have recognized him.

“Oh, hey. Wasn’t that Jaebum?”

“What? Where?” Youngjae asks.

“Youngjae, he literally just walked out of the cafeteria seconds ago-- like in front of us,” Jinyoung laughs.

“Really?” Youngjae stands up to see if Jaebum is anywhere still in sight.

“You want to invite him for lunch later?”

“Sure… I’ll just see if I can still catch up with him.” Youngjae quickly makes his way out of the cafeteria to search for Jaebum.

“Jaebum-hyung!”

Jaebum wants to keep walking, but eventually finds himself stopping in his tracks as he hears Youngjae call out to him, and the younger boy’s footsteps rushing to catch up with him. He turns around to see Youngjae walking up to him.

“Hyung! Sorry, I didn’t notice you earlier.” Youngjae waves at him cheerfully.

“Oh. Youngjae. It’s alright. I don’t think I saw you in the cafeteria either.”

“That's ok. By the way, do you want to have lunch with us later? With me and Jinyoung?”

_With Jinyoung? That's cool, but I'd rather have lunch just with you._

“Thanks, but I have something to do later at lunch time.” _No, you don't._

“Ah, I see. That’s fine...” Youngjae nods, although there’s a hint of disappointment in his voice.

“...Oh, are you on your way to class, hyung?” Youngjae quickly asks.

“Yeah, I am.”

“Do you want me to walk with you there?”

_Why does he have to be so thoughtful?_

“No, it’s fine. I’m in a hurry, actually.” _Jaebum, you idiot._

Jaebum wants to kick himself internally for lying and being so awkward when it comes to dealing with Youngjae these days-- especially when Jinyoung’s near.

“Oh, ok. I’ll just see you in class, I guess?”

“Yeah, see you.”

Youngjae waves him goodbye, and Jaebum returns the gesture with a gentle smile.

Once Jaebum's out of the younger boy's sight, he quickly turns a corner to the back of the school building. He leans on the wall and covers his face with his hands, sinking closer to the ground.

"Jaebum, you're such an idiot. An embarrassing, jealous idiot," he utters harshly to himself.

He can feel his cheeks flushing red and regret sinking heavily in his heart. Jaebum wasn't used to any of these. He rarely ever chased after people or liked anyone this much to feel so flustered. He tries his best to regain his composure, tries not to think about how he had just subsequently turned down two chances to be in Youngjae's company, tries not to think about how happy Youngjae and Jinyoung looked together. It's difficult, but after a few minutes of wallowing shamefully at the back of a school building, he forces himself to go to class. Who knows? Maybe the lectures will help get his mind off of these things.

 

\--

 

Jaebum's sitting in class, but his mind's drifting off somewhere else. He keeps thinking about those glances. Did he just imagine that-- the sense of pining in Youngjae's eyes? Does Youngjae like Jinyoung in _that way?_ Jaebum doesn't want to know the answer to that, but the question bugs him, nonetheless. And how about Jinyoung? How does he feel about Youngjae? Did Jaebum stand a chance against him? Jaebum's usually pretty confident about himself, but after seeing those glances and being reminded of all those times he saw them together, he can't help but feel a little hopeless. Besides, Jinyoung's certainly more charming than he is, right?

Jaebum eventually finds himself drawing random scribbles on his notebook, no longer paying attention to the lecture. He sighs in frustration when he finally faces the blackboard, only to be greeted by a bunch of historical dates and events he couldn't make sense of. Their professor was still talking, but he doesn't understand anything-- the lecture sounds less like spoken words, and more like ambient noise. Only the sound of his own thoughts, the falling rain, and the ticking clock remain clear to him.

 

\--

 

These days, Youngjae doesn't seem so vibrant. Jaebum could sense it, even if Youngjae always tries his best to look fine-- as if nothing was bothering him. Jaebum knows something's wrong. Something happened, and he thinks that Jinyoung may have something to do with it. It's not that he blames Jinyoung. He just noticed that Youngjae doesn't seem to hang out as often with Jinyoung anymore. While Jaebum knows he should be glad about that, he just can't bring himself to be happy about it when Youngjae's like this-- bleak and troubled much like the weather these days.

Jaebum's tried to subtly bring it up once after class, and the reply he got wasn't exactly reassuring.

"Youngjae, are you… ok?"

"Yeah, I'm fine. Don't worry about me, hyung."

Youngjae doesn't even look at him, busy stuffing his things back into his backpack.

"Ok, but if something's bothering you, you can talk to me about it, alright?"

"I'm fine, really. But thanks," Youngjae had said, flashing Jaebum a forced smile before leaving the classroom ahead of the older boy.

Jaebum doesn't know how he should bring it up again, or if he should even do so in the first place. He doesn't want to force Youngjae into confiding in him for fear that he might upset the other boy more than he already currently is. Jaebum eventually concludes that perhaps, waiting for Youngjae to talk about it himself is the best option for now.

In spite of the younger boy's cheerful, friendly personality, Jaebum senses that Youngjae has a habit of keeping things to himself-- especially those negative thoughts and feelings that just keep you distraught and lying awake late at night in bed. Even if Youngjae doesn't tell him outright, he senses that the younger boy stays up late until morning no longer because of his video games, but because of something else.

 

\--

 

Jaebum doesn’t have the heart to bring up whatever’s bothering the younger boy, so he tries to be there for Youngjae as much as he can. He’s started walking Youngjae to his other classes and even inviting him more often to study together. Once, they had even stayed at a coffee shop past midnight. Jaebum was finishing his slides for a presentation, and Youngjae was supposedly reviewing his notes for a test. Youngjae eventually fell asleep at the cafe, his head resting on his notebook.

"Youngjae?" Jaebum had called out, eyes still glued to his laptop screen.

When he receives no reply from Youngjae, he looks up from his screen, only to be met with the sight of the younger boy sleeping soundly across from him. He can’t help but smile upon seeing how calm Youngjae looked at that moment. Youngjae’s fringe fell messily to one side and his right cheek was pressed onto the notebook.

 _Cute,_ Jaebum thinks.

As much as he hates to arouse the younger boy from his peaceful nap, it was already late and they both had to head home soon. Jaebum gently ruffles Youngjae’s hair to wake him up, and the other soon stirs from his sleep. Youngjae slowly lifts his head from the table and yawns as he stretches his arms.

“Good morning, sunshine,” Jaebum chuckles as he closes his laptop.

“What time is it?” Youngjae asks, still yawning.

“It's… 1:31 AM," Jaebum reads from his phone.

“God, I’m tired.”

“Want me to walk you home?”

“I’d like that,” Youngjae says, closing his notebook.

Soon, they were packing their things and walking out of the coffee shop. The younger boy was stumbling a bit as they walked, so Jaebum eventually had to half-carry Youngjae as he hung onto the older boy’s shoulders with one arm. It was a bit of a struggle considering that it was also drizzling that night, and Jaebum had to keep them both sheltered under the umbrella they were sharing. It was difficult, but Jaebum couldn’t bring himself to mind that much when Youngjae was right _here_. They were so close that he could even hear Youngjae’s breath above the sound of rain falling.

Once they’re at the university dorms, Youngjae lets go of Jaebum and slightly stumbles as he tries to regain his balance.

“Hey, be careful.”

“I am.”

Upon finally regaining his balance, Youngjae turns to the other boy and walks closer towards him. When they were finally inches apart, Youngjae wraps his arms around the other, his forehead leaning on Jaebum’s shoulder.

“Thanks, Jaebum-hyung,” Youngjae mutters quietly.

Jaebum likes the feeling of being this close to Youngjae, so he wraps his arms around the younger boy too. Jaebum wonders how long they’ll stay like this-- close, warm, and restful.

If this was what it felt like to hold sunshine in his arms, he swears he’d never want to let go.


	4. Chapter 4

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> ☀️

When Youngjae finally tells Jaebum about what's been upsetting him, Jaebum doesn't expect it. It was a rainy morning after class and the two of them were the only ones left in the classroom. Both of them were packing up their things when Youngjae says it.

"I confessed to someone a few weeks ago."

Jaebum freezes for a moment and accidentally drops his notebook on the floor.

"I got rejected, though," Youngjae continues, picking up the other's notebook from the floor and handing it to him.

"I-I see. I'm sorry about that," Jaebum utters quietly as he takes the notebook from Youngjae. Jaebum doesn't know what to say, honestly. The truth's hitting him like a truck, and he wants to comfort Youngjae right now, but he's afraid the other boy is getting closer to saying something he's afraid of hearing.

"You remember Jinyoung? He's the guy I liked."

"Oh." _There it is._

Jaebum's torn between heartbreak and wanting to comfort Youngjae. He should've seen this coming, really. Or maybe he has, but he just refused to believe it. But now, the truth's right here-- laid out right in front of him. He wants to ignore that tinge of growing hopelessness and sadness in his heart. It's difficult, but he tries anyway. He can't just cry right now in front of Youngjae as the other boy confides in him. Jaebum needs to be there for him.

“Anyway, what about you, hyung? Do you like anyone?” Youngjae chuckles, but it doesn’t seem convincing. It’s clear to Jaebum that he’s just trying to lighten the subject by asking such a question. It’s a question that takes him by surprise and he doesn’t know how to answer that right now. Of course, admitting his feelings right now is definitely not an option.

“I’m not sure.” _What kind of answer is that? Jaebum, get your shit together._

“What do you mean?” Youngjae asks laughing.

“Well… I don’t know if I like them enough to pursue anything with them.”

“Oh, so you do like someone. Do I happen to know them?” Youngjae asks, smirking as he raises an eyebrow.

“I-I don’t know. Maybe,” Jaebum says sheepishly.

“Try me.” Youngjae laughs.

“I’d rather not tell you when I-I’m not sure yet.”

“That’s fair, I guess.” Youngjae shrugs.

The younger boy takes something out from his bag. It’s a square-shaped envelope. There seems to be a list written on it on one side. He hands it to Jaebum. The older boy takes it, giving Youngjae a confused expression.

“This is…?” Jaebum asks as he examines the list on the envelope. There’s a numbered list of what seems like song titles and artists. Above it, the title says “For Jinyoung-hyung.” _Oh._

“It’s a mixed CD. I burned some of my favorite songs there. There’s even some tracks that I made myself. I was supposed to give this to Jinyoung. But then… he returned it to me saying he didn’t return my feelings,” Youngjae chuckles a little as he says the last bit.

“Oh wait, I forgot something,” Youngjae adds. He grabs the envelope back and takes a pen out from his pocket. He crosses out the title and writes “For Jaebum-hyung” instead.

“There. Sorry about that.” He gives the mixed CD back to Jaebum.

Jaebum can only look at the mixed CD in his hands. He’s afraid he might just tear up when he looks up at the other boy right now. He never really stood a chance against Jinyoung, did he? Those glances should have told him everything. Even if Jinyoung had rejected the younger boy, he’s afraid that Youngjae still harbors feelings for Jinyoung. And Jaebum can’t really do anything about that. Jaebum can’t do anything to change those feelings, but he at least knows that he should be here for Youngjae more than ever-- even if the younger boy’s obviously trying to downplay his own feelings.

“You can have it instead, hyung. I thought I should at least give this to someone special to me since I worked hard on it and all. Sure, it’s a rejected gift, but… I hope you don’t mind. I still think it’s too special to not give to someone else.” Youngjae looks up at the other with a reassuring smile-- Jaebum can be at least sure that Youngjae genuinely wanted him to have it.

“Thanks.”

“Well, anyway. You have class soon right, hyung? I won’t keep you here any longer. I’ll just go back to the dorms,” Youngjae says picking up his bag before beginning to walk out of the room. Sure, Jaebum had class, but after this conversation, did that even matter? Jaebum would rather get drenched in the rain than go to class.

“See you, Jaebum-hyu-- Oh, shit. I forgot to bring an umbrella,” Youngjae says noticing the rain fall outside.

Jaebum grabs his umbrella from the metal rack at the back of the classroom.

“I can walk you home,” Jaebum says.

“Are you sure? Don’t you have class?”

“I do, but I don’t really care about that. I have more important things to do.”

“So walking me home is more important?” Youngjae chuckles, raising an eyebrow questioningly.

“I-- well-- Just be grateful I’m sharing my umbrella with you, ok? It’s fine, I swear.” Jaebum laughs a little.

They both exit the classroom to walk towards the dorms. They share an umbrella on the way, but they hardly talk during the entirety of the trip. Jaebum can sense that Youngjae’s still a little downcast despite the smiles and laughter from a while ago. At some point during the walk, Youngjae hooks his arms onto Jaebum’s. He finds comfort in it despite his own feelings of growing hopelessness, and he hopes Youngjae does too-- even if just a little.

They soon step inside the lobby of the university dorms. Jaebum closes his umbrella and places it on the rack near the entrance.

“Well, then. Thanks again, hyung. I feel like I keep making you walk me home. Sorry about that,” Youngjae says sheepishly, looking down at his feet.

“I told you, Youngjae. It’s fine,” Jaebum chuckles, turning to face the other boy.

“And thank you for listening to me talk about my stupid love life and all. I know it’s so sudden, but I thought you deserved to know. I kind of sensed you might be worried,” Youngjae continues.

“It’s ok. And yeah, of course, I’d be worried about you.”

“Sorry. But anyway, be careful on your way back, hyung. See you.”

Youngjae waves the other goodbye and begins to walk up to his room when Jaebum stops him.

“Youngjae, wait.”

Youngjae stops in his tracks and Jaebum walks towards him.

“What is it?”

Jaebum takes out a pen from his bag and grabs Youngjae’s hand. Jaebum draws something on his hand.

“Hyung, what are you--”

Youngjae stops mid-sentence when he sees Jaebum drawing a smiling sun-- much like the one he had drawn on Jaebum’s hand before. It brings a smile to his face that Jaebum would remember that. Jaebum takes a deep breath before giving Youngjae an explanation, still holding the younger boy’s hand in his.

“Look, I know I’m not the best at comforting people-- all the more when they’re heartbroken. But I genuinely hope you feel better soon. I don’t know how Jinyoung could reject you like that. Especially when you’re a really wonderful person. You make people feel warm and happy just with your presence. I’m pretty sure lots of other people who know you think and feel that. I do too. And you deserve someone better-- someone who acknowledges how wonderful you are.”

_Did I really just say that? I hope that didn’t sound too much like a confession._

There's a few moments of silence before Youngjae finally speaks.

“Thanks, hyung. That was really… sweet of you. I think I really needed to hear that.”

Youngjae smiles brightly at the other. Jaebum lets go of Youngjae’s hand. There’s something different about Youngjae’s smile just now. It’s more vibrant than any of his other smiles from the past few weeks. Jaebum feels warm and happy to have seen it again.

And is it just him or did Youngjae’s cheeks just flush a little red just now?

“See you in class, hyung.”

Youngjae waves him goodbye again, and Jaebum waves back.

When Youngjae’s finally out of sight, Jaebum grabs his umbrella and exits the dorm. He walks back to school, still thinking about Youngjae’s smile.

The rain’s still falling hard. Perhaps, Jaebum is too.

 

\--

 

Jaebum’s out drinking by himself tonight. He decided to head to the nearest bar right after finishing a project for class to drink away his exhaustion… and maybe his feelings too. He keeps thinking about Youngjae. He keeps thinking about whether or not he should confess soon. The semester’s almost over and who knows if they’ll be classmates again next year? Who knows if they’ll keep meeting? Jaebum’s running out of time, but he’s pathetic and slow and too heartbroken to do anything. He thinks about the mixed CD Youngjae gave him and sometimes, he can’t help but feel bitterness emerging in his heart when he remembers how it was supposed to be for Jinyoung. Jaebum remembers what Youngjae had said-- that he at least wanted to give it to someone special. So that means Jaebum was special in Youngjae’s eyes, right? He wonders if _special_ meant anything deeper than friendship. He sure hopes so.

Jaebum gulps down his second glass of lime gin before getting another one from the counter. He looks around and notices how empty the bar looked tonight. Most students were still probably busy working on their academic requirements. It was hell week, after all. Finals was looming dangerously near.

For a while, Jaebum just stares blankly at the glass he’s holding. He watches the alcohol swirl in his glass as if doing so will give him answers.

Jaebum soon senses someone sitting down beside him. He looks up from his drink and turns his head to get a glimpse of the person who had just arrived.

“Hey.”

It’s Jinyoung.

“Jaebum, right?”

“Yeah,” Jaebum nods.

Of course. Of all the people he had to meet here, it had to be Jinyoung. To be fair, Jaebum didn’t exactly hate Jinyoung. It’s not Jinyoung’s fault that Youngjae happened to like him instead. But it doesn’t mean that Jaebum doesn’t feel a sense of hopelessness and insecurity whenever any talk of Jinyoung comes about.

“Oh, I don’t know if you remember me but I’m Jinyoung. Youngjae’s friend?”

“Yeah, I remember.”

“I assume Youngjae’s told you about what happened? You two seem pretty close.”

Jaebum nods.

“I’ll just get straight to the point, then. I know you like Youngjae.” Jinyoung smirks, taking a sip of his own drink.

Jaebum’s grip on his glass tightens. _Was I that obvious?_

“What?” Jaebum asks, trying to not sound too alarmed.

“Oh, come on. It’s pretty obvious. The way you look at him says a lot. And I can sense that you’re not usually like that with other people. You seem-- I don’t know-- less cold and more gentle when you’re with Youngjae?”

Jaebum doesn’t answer him.

Jaebum didn’t think Jinyoung was this perceptive. He may be a bit sassy, but he has to admit Jinyoung’s actually pretty smart.

“I’ll take that as a sign I'm right,” Jinyoung laughs.

“So why did you reject him?” Jaebum asks, trying to divert the the topic to Youngjae’s confession.

"I like Youngjae a lot as a friend, but nothing more. Besides, he may say that he likes me, but I’m pretty sure you're the one he actually loves. He probably just didn’t realize it immediately since he’s liked me for quite a long time now-- he was probably too fixated on that crush. Took him long enough to confess. By the time he did, I’m pretty sure he didn’t like me as much anymore, though. Youngjae can be a little… slow when it comes to coming to terms with his own feelings. He tends to repress a lot. Don’t worry, though. He’ll realize soon enough.”

“Wow. It's like you know so much more about him than I do," Jaebum chuckles.

"I'm just good at reading people-- most of the time."

Jaebum drinks from his glass, trying to take in all that Jinyoung had just told him. He may not be close to Jinyoung, but Jaebum senses that he can at least trust him on this.

"Does he tell you anything about me?" Jaebum asks sheepishly.

"Oh, he talks about you a lot. I remember he kept telling me about this cute classmate who would always bring him coffee in his morning class. I was actually the one who suggested that maybe he should invite you to lunch as thanks. He's always so excited whenever he would tell me before that he was going to study together with you." Jinyoung smiles at the other boy.

"Anyway, you should tell him soon," Jinyoung says.

"Tell him what?"

"About your feelings, obviously," Jinyoung laughs.

"I-I don't know."

"Yes, you do. And all that's left is to tell him. You do know you're running out of time, right?"

Jaebum sighs.

"I know."

Jinyoung gulps down his glass and sets it down on the table. He stands up to bid the other goodbye.

"Anyway, I'll be on my way now. I'll see you around. Take care of Youngjae, ok?"

Jinyoung leaves, and Jaebum's left with his drink and his own thoughts swirling with the alcohol.


	5. Chapter 5

* * *

It's the last day of lectures and Jaebum can't help but be bothered by the empty seat beside him. Youngjae isn't here again. The rain's falling harsher than usual and the thunder sounds more hauntingly deep this morning. It's even colder without Youngjae beside him.

The class is unmemorable as ever and Jaebum's glad when the professor soon dismisses them. He takes his umbrella and walks out into the rain to head to his next class.

He's passing by the library when he notices someone familiar in the corner of his eyes. He stops in his tracks and sees Youngjae sitting at the waiting shed just outside the library. Youngjae's stretching out a hand with his palm facing the sky, seemingly checking how intense the rainfall is.

"Youngjae!" Jaebum shouts, walking briskly towards the other boy.

Youngjae looks around in search of who had just called out his name. He soon finds Jaebum and waves at him from afar.

When Jaebum reaches the waiting shed, he closes his umbrella as he catches his breath.

"Hi, hyung," Youngjae greets softly and flashes the other a flustered smile.

"So you weren't in class today."

"Yeah, I just-- I happened to think about things. And realize a lot of things. And I guess after that, I was way too overwhelmed to go to class like nothing happened-- to sit beside you like nothing happened," Youngjae says, looking down at his feet.

"Oh... what do you mean? I mean, only if you're ok with telling."

Youngjae sighs.

"I'm going to be blunt here. I think I ended up falling in love with someone. And it's not Jinyoung."

Jaebum can feel his heart race. He can feel his cheeks swarm with warmth and red. Suddenly, he can't string words to reply to the other boy.

Youngjae laughs and points at the sky.

"It's raining again. I wonder if you remember, hyung. The day we met and the day we first hung out together. It was also raining. And I don't know if you've noticed, but we keep meeting on rainy days. It's weird."

"Of course, yeah. I remember," Jaebum says quietly.

"You know, I used to hate the rain. But lately, it doesn't seem so bad. It doesn't seem so… scary."

Jaebum sits down beside Youngjae at the waiting shed.

"I think I fell in love to the sound of the rain," Youngjae utters quietly. Jaebum can hear it despite the sound of splashing rain and ominous thunder.

Jaebum takes Youngjae's hand in his and looks up at the other boy.

"I think I did too."

Youngjae smiles gently at Jaebum and looks back at the pouring rain.

"Even though it's raining, I feel warm. Maybe it's because I'm with you," Jaebum says, gently tracing circles on Youngjae's hand.

Youngjae leans his head on the other's shoulder. They stay like that for a while, waiting for the rain to come to a calm. Youngjae closes his eyes, taking in the pleasant scent of aloe vera and rain.

 

\--

 

"Do you have an umbrella?" Jaebum asks when the rain finally dies down into a drizzle.

"No, I think mine got stolen yesterday," Youngjae says with a sigh, his head still leaning on the other's shoulder.

"Guess we're sharing again," Jaebum says chuckling.

"Sorry about this, hyung." Youngjae lifts his head from Jaebum's shoulder.

The older boy stands up to open his umbrella.

"It's ok. I don't mind sharing with you."

"Thanks," Youngjae says with a flustered smile.

Youngjae soon stands up and scoots closer to where Jaebum's standing, making sure they're both sheltered under the umbrella. He hooks an arm onto Jaebum's and looks at the other lovingly. Jaebum notices the glint in Youngjae's eyes-- there, he senses warmth and wonder. As Jaebum stares into them, he thinks he'd love nothing more than to get lost in Youngjae's eyes.

"Youngjae?"

"Yeah?"

"I know we're supposed to be hurrying because it's still raining and I have class… but can I kiss you?" Jaebum asks flustered.

Youngjae laughs.

"Yeah, whatever," Youngjae says smiling shyly.

Jaebum turns to face the other, and slowly leans in. He closes his eyes and eventually feels Youngjae's lips on his own. He revels in the warmth it brings, and he hears his own heart race above the sound of drizzling rain.

Jaebum's grip on the umbrella loosens and he unknowingly drops it on the damp concrete. It's still raining, but at this moment-- when he's this close to Youngjae, that didn't seem to matter.

_So this is what sunshine tastes like in the rain._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> tbh i got lazy writing this towards the end oof but whatever i just wanted to finish this finally so i can move on to other projects. there's actually one scene i wrote but ended up not including in this fic idk if i'll post it as an epilogue or something i'll think abt it


	6. Epilogue

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Drenched in rain.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> surprise i ended up adding an epilogue anyway
> 
> i realized how stupid it was of me to write a rain-themed fic yet ended up not putting a scene where the couple gets all lovey-dovey after getting drenched in rain. i knew there was something missing in this fic and now that i've written it i'm satisfied
> 
> **also important note: this chapter is more youngjae-centric so the thoughts in italics are youngjae's and not jaebum's

Today, none of them had brought umbrellas. The morning sky was a clear blue and the sun was shining brightly-- perfect for a stroll in the park, a trip to the beach, or even a date. There seemed to be no signs of a haunting rain, unlike most days.

Youngjae had woken up that morning, a sliver of sunlight spilling on his skin and his bedsheets as it passed through the blinds that hung in his bedroom window. Something feels different about the sun's warmth. He has a good feeling about today.

Suddenly, he feels a buzzing from the phone beneath his pillow. He takes it out and sees that he had received some messages from Jaebum.

Jaebum: morning youngjae

Jaebum: are you doing anything today?

Youngjae smiles as he sits up on his bed to type a reply.

Youngjae: morning hyung! ☀️☀️

Youngjae: nope im free today

Of course, Youngjae knew what was coming. This was always how Jaebum asked him out on dates-- by first making sure that Youngjae wasn't already occupied for the day. It's a subtle detail in their relationship, but it never fails to make Youngjae smile. It's an act that shows how concerned Jaebum is for him-- he knows that the other boy isn't one to force himself to be around Youngjae all the time in spite of how much they cherished being in each other's company.

Jaebum: do you want to go out?

Jaebum: the weather seems nice outside

Jaebum: and a library cafe just opened near my apartment

Jaebum: figured maybe we can go out and try it together?

Youngjae: sure hyung!!

Youngjae: wat time do we meet

Youngjae: and where

Youngjae: im not rly that familiar with ur area lol

Jaebum: i can pick you up at your dorm around 1 pm?

Jaebum: and then we can just take the bus together

Youngjae: ok got it u can just wait for me at the lobby

When Youngjae finally sends his reply, he finds himself burying his face onto his pillow out of his own excitement. He knows he probably looks like an idiot smiling onto his pillow like that, but he can't help it. This day was definitely going to be a good one. Nothing can go wrong, and Youngjae was certain of it.

 

\--

 

They had just spent the past three hours at the library cafe-- having done more flirting than actual reading and coffee-drinking in the middle of the bookshelves. To be fair, Youngjae had initially tried to concentrate on reading, but eventually got distracted by his companion.They were both sitting on the floor in between some bookshelves and Youngjae was silently sipping his coffee as he held the book with his other hand. Jaebum shifted in his seat, put down his own book and suddenly lay down on the floor, his head resting on Youngjae’s lap. Youngjae almost drops his coffee, but immediately places it on the floor before a drop of it could even spill on the pages of the book. When he puts the book down, Jaebum’s staring at him with a cheeky grin and playfulness glinting in his eyes. If Youngjae was still holding his coffee cup right now, he might just have spilled it. The warmth in his palm from holding the cup was nothing compared to how his cheeks were heating up now. Just how can someone with cold, piercing eyes like Jaebum look so cute looking up at him like that?

“You almost made me spill my coffee, hyung,” Youngjae says chuckling.

“Sorry,” Jaebum says still grinning, not in the least bit sounding sorry at all-- pleased with himself, even.

Youngjae rolls his eyes, but eventually lets out a laugh. He buries his hand in Jaebum’s hair, caressing the soft tufts in between his fingers.

 

\--

 

Perhaps Youngjae spoke too soon when the rain had started pouring harshly and the two of them were walking towards the bus stop. They were still a little far from their destination, and none of them had brought umbrellas that day. Jaebum immediately suggested going to his apartment instead to shelter themselves from the violent downpour. At least Youngjae could stay there too as he waits for the rain to subside.

They head to Jaebum’s apartment in a hurry, just a few blocks away from where they were a while ago. The two of them run under the rain, trying to shield themselves from the downpour with Youngjae’s shoulder bag. Jaebum’s holding the other boy close with his arm as they’re making their way to the apartment. Youngjae occasionally steals glances at the other as they take each slippery step, puddles splashing violently against their feet. Jaebum notices it, but doesn’t say anything as he continues to guide them both to their destination.

A fork of lightning flashes in the midst of the bleak, grey sky and it makes Youngjae stop in his tracks out of fear. He covers his ears and closes his eyes as the lightning sounds with a sharp, loud crack. Jaebum holds him tighter and mumbles gently into the other’s ear,

“Shh. It’s going to be ok, Youngjae. We’re almost there. And I’m right here.”

Youngjae holds his shoulder bag close to his chest, shivering as he hugs it tightly. There was nothing to shield themselves from the rain anymore. It was cold, damp, and dark by now.

Youngjae used to be more afraid of the rain, but he reminds himself that Jaebum’s here now. Jaebum’s presence grounds him. Jaebum’s holding him close. He feels the warmth of the other’s grip on his shoulder and the warmth of Jaebum’s breath against his ear. It’s enough to give him the strength to take another step in the midst of the dark storm and the bellowing thunder.

 

\--

 

By the time they get to Jaebum’s apartment, they were both completely drenched in rain. Their clothes were soaking wet, leaving puddles on the floor as they moved. Jaebum guides the other into the living room and places Youngjae’s bag on top of the coffee table. He disappears into his bedroom and Youngjae's left standing in the living room awkwardly, wondering if he should sit on Jaebum's couch despite his clothes still dripping wet.

Youngjae looks around the apartment, noticing how bland the walls looked. The lamp beside the couch lit up the living room pleasantly with its yellow light, making visible the specks of dust from the nearby bookshelf. He can still hear the faint sound of the raging storm outside. Youngjae takes a deep breath. He’s safe here.

Jaebum soon returns with a set of folded clothes in his hands. After he sets them down on the table, he notices the trail of water they had made from walking around the apartment. He lets out a sigh just thinking about how he’ll have to clean this up later. When he looks up, he catches Youngjae’s eyes and watches the other’s lips curve into a smile.

“Why didn’t we bring umbrellas again?” Jaebum asks laughing.

“Well… the sky looked really clear in the morning so I thought it was going to be fine.”

“Remind me next time. Rain or shine, we have to bring umbrellas. The sky can be deceiving, you know.”

Youngjae sighs as he examines the tuft of hair dangling in front of his forehead, playing with the strands in between his fingers.

"God, my hair's ruined now," Youngjae whines.

"Don't worry," Jaebum assures him as he walks towards Youngjae.

"You look cute even when you're drenched in rain," Jaebum says with a smirk. Youngjae blushes at that, and it doesn't even help that the older boy's face is now just inches away from his. He desperately tries to keep his composure, even though it's proving to be increasingly difficult not to with every passing second they spend like this.

Soon, he feels Jaebum gently tugging at the buttons on his shirt, opening them one by one. _Ok, Youngjae. Don't lose your shit. Everything is going to be fi-- wait, just what the hell is happening?_ Youngjae suddenly feels his face heat up despite the touch of cold rain water lingering on his skin. His legs almost stumble in place as butterflies fill his stomach and his thoughts go haywire-- Youngjae's mind suddenly flooded with images of sensual touches between the two of them.

Jaebum senses the other's tense reaction and stops fiddling with the buttons on Youngjae's shirt. He looks up at the other boy for a moment and explains, "You need a change of clothes. I don't want you to get sick."

_Oh. So that's what this is about._

Youngjae feels like a wave of cold water's crashing down on him, but he's thankful for it. It helps him keep his composure, even if just a little. Youngjae's cheeks remain dusted with red as Jaebum continues to unbutton the other's shirt.

Suddenly, Youngjae rests his palm on the other's cheek as he gazes at Jaebum-- eyes brimming with affection. He notices how messy Jaebum's hair looked-- strands stuck to each other and sticking up in random places, his bangs sticking onto his forehead. He notices how Jaebum's clothes stuck onto his skin, still soaking wet and making a mess of droplets on the floor. He notices how despite all of that, Jaebum still manages to charm him with those piercing eyes and that alluring smile.

"You too," Youngjae mumbles quietly.

"What? What do you mean?" Jaebum asks with a slight chuckle.

"I-I think you also look beautiful like this. Even when you're drenched in rain," Youngjae says shyly.

Youngjae leans closer until their foreheads are finally touching. When Jaebum finishes unbuttoning the other's shirt, he slips his hand in to touch the bare skin on Youngjae's chest. It's warm, and he can feel Youngjae's heart race underneath his palm. Slowly, he lifts the cloth covering the other's chest, leaving one of Youngjae's shoulders bare. He gently traces his fingers along Youngjae's collarbone, as if committing to memory the sensation of his skin. Jaebum looks up at the other and sees Youngjae with his eyes serenely shut.

The touch of Jaebum's palm and fingers on his skin isn't new to him. But somehow, Youngjae feels more vulnerable right now. Their relationship hasn't gone that intimate yet, so this feeling is quite new to him. It's new, but it's also familiar-- Jaebum's touch is familiar, and it comforts him.

Youngjae was never used to vulnerability. He's used to building walls around himself, never letting anyone under his skin. He's managed to convince himself that he's completely fine concealing his own feelings behind a cheerful facade. But things are different when he's with Jaebum. This time, he lets himself be vulnerable. He lets himself be vulnerable because he likes the feeling of Jaebum's touch on his skin. He likes the warmth Jaebum brings.

"Hyung, can you kiss me?" Youngjae asks quietly, his eyes still closed.

Jaebum nods slightly, and Youngjae soon feels the touch of lips against his. There's an electrifying feeling that comes with the kiss, but it doesn't compare to how at this moment, Youngjae feels most vulnerable and loved.

 

\--

 

After washing the rain off their skin and finally getting a change of clothes, they head to Jaebum's bedroom to get some rest. As the storm outside only continued its violent downpour, both of them eventually decided it was for the best if Youngjae stayed here for the night.

They're now lying down in bed, facing each other with Jaebum's hand gingerly placed on the other's waist. Meanwhile, Youngjae's playing with the bangs dangling in front of Jaebum's forehead.

"I hope you don't mind too much having to share your bed tonight," Youngjae says sleepily.

"My bed's way too big, anyway. It feels more comfortable with you in it."

Upon hearing that, Youngjae stops playing with Jaebum's hair and flashes the older boy a gentle smile. He soon moves closer to kiss Jaebum on the cheek. He whispers something a little inaudible, and Jaebum likes the tickling feeling it makes on his skin. Jaebum isn't so sure what the other had said, but he thinks he caught some words that sounded something like "goodnight, hyung."

Jaebum soon closes his eyes as he wraps an arm around Youngjae, feeling reassured knowing that he doesn't have to wait for the day to come to see the sun rise. Youngjae was right here with him, after all. And for now, that was enough.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> thank u for reading!! comments and kudos are always welcome
> 
> also here are my previous 2jae fics if ur interested and havent read them yet:
> 
> [It Feels Like Home](https://archiveofourown.org/works/18478294)
> 
> [Warm Lullabies](https://archiveofourown.org/works/17228582)


End file.
